Effects of auditory stimuli on intracranial pressure and cerebral perfusion pressure in traumatic brain injury

Abstract

The primary goal of medical and nursing management in the traumatic brain-injured patient is to decrease intracranial pressure (ICP) and maintain adequate cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP). Little is known about what effect, if any, auditory stimulation has on these parameters. Therefore, an experimental study was conducted to examine the effects of various auditory stimuli on intracranial pressure (ICP) and cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP) in traumatic brain-injured patients. A convenience sample of fifteen participants with admitting Glasgow Coma Scale scores between 3 and 8 was studied. Three types of auditory stimuli: earplugs, a music tape and a tape of ICU environmental noise were applied to patients in a computer-generated random order. The tapes delivered sound at 70 decibels. Each intervention lasted 15 minutes. ICP and CPP were recorded at a 30 second resolution time through a bedside computer. Data were analyzed using analysis of variance for a cross over design. Results showed no statistically significant change in ICP or CPP during the study period. Further studies are needed to examine the effects of auditory stimuli on ICP and CPP in traumatic brain-injured patients.